Mel Burke
Melessa "Mel" Burke is a local politician for the City of Toledo, Ohio. She is Lennox Scanlon and Ryder Scanlon's aunt and Joe Longo's employer. Her full name has never been used, though Melissa Joan Hart confirmed in an interview that 'Mel' is actually short for Melanie. (The series is named for its actors, not the characters). She also tweets about here. 'Personality' Mel is a former wild-child turned city council woman. When her sister ends up in prison and her brother-in-law flees after a multi-million dollar scandal hits his company, Mel takes custody of her teenaged niece and nephew. Unfortunately, Mel is completely unprepared for this new responsibility. Still struggling to abandon her past party-girl ways while trying to make a name for herself in local politics, Mel has even more trouble abandoning 'Cool Aunt Mel' in favor of her new parental obligations. In many ways, Mel herself straddles the line between adolescence and adulthood, her behavior and the nature of problems frequently mirroring those of her fifteen year old niece.Many episodes feature her reconciling her inner rebel teenager with her duty to set a good example. She is impulsive, dramatic and very high-energy. She loves junkfood almost as much as she loves a nice glass of red wine after dinner. She isn't overly concerned with her health and exercise, though it's clear that she takes pride in her physical appearance. She enjoys shopping (especially shoe shopping!) and dressing in stylish business attire and she puts a lot of effort into haircare. Despite this, Mel doesn't come across as overly vain or arrogant. Instead, she appears highly confident and spontaneous. She is a natural flirt and has a witty sense of humor. She can, however, be overly critical, and picky, especially when it comes to men. She is quick to find flaws in others, Joe in particular, and gets irritated when people muscle in on her territory (though she herself is quick to get involved in other people's business). She isn't naturally an angry person and while she is otherwise confident in other areas, she sometimes struggles to assert herself when she is worried about hurting another person's feelings. She is known to sometimes skirt around the truth, or even sculpt it, and dislikes being put in the position of the 'bad guy.' These qualities often lay the basis for much of the drama that springs up around the house. 'Relationships' Joe Longo is Mel's 'domestic manager' (see: Nanny) and the two of them share a playful love-hate relationship. Mel frequently ribs on Joe's various lifestyle choices, including but not limited to his taste in women, his obsession with bodybuilding and, of course, his hair (or lack thereof). She seems to see him as being a bit of a self-congratulating egomaniac and delights in cutting him down to size with a snappy remark when the opportunity presents itself. Still, despite all his faults, Mel does look to him (often grudgingly) for help and advice, particularly when it comes to her relationship-of-the-week. She also acknowledges his good influence on the kids and his ability to efficiently run the household, though she has never admitted this to him in person. As the series goes on, we see Mel become more protective of Joe, putting their friendship first over any other conflicting interests and going to great lengths to spare his feelings when they're about to be hurt by a third party. She sometimes even gets a little jealous of his girlfriends. It's clear that Mel is attracted to Joe and vice versa, but for whatever reason the two of them remain firmly in denial. In the season one finale, both of them seemed to be contemplating the prospect of taking their relationship to a new level once Joe moves out of the house, but after a hasty kiss and an abrupt change in Joe's living and money arrangements, both of them acknowledge that 'it would be kinda weird.' In season two, its back to the status quo though the viewer will notice that they've grown more affectionate with one another. In the second half of the third season, Mel and Joe start to date. Mel and Joe Become engaged in Right Time, Right Place. Lennox 'is Mel's fiesty and rebellious teenaged niece. The two of them were close before the scandal forced Lennox into Mel's custody, with Mel taking Lennox out to the latest concerts and bailing her out of trouble at school. Now, however, Mel struggles between being the 'cool Aunt' and setting a good example. They frequently butt heads over what is age appropriate for a high school sophomore as opposed to an adult woman, Mel's wild child past often posing a hypocritical challenge. Despite their differences, Lennox does not hesitate to approach her aunt with problems, especially those pertaining to boys and whatever social justice project she seems to be working on at the time. 'Ryder is Mel's awkward Seventeen year old nephew. Even though he is at least two heads taller than her, Mel is very protective of him. She sees him as a being a bit geeky and is not too worried about him getting into too much trouble at school (though she does show immense concern when she thinks he is being bullied). Ryder sometimes comes to her for advice, though for the most part, he seems to be closer with Joe and Lennox than with his aunt. He has a tendency to walk in or overhear awkward or inappropriate conversations between his aunt and Joe. Trivia * She used to get fake ids from a guy named Wallie * She drank a lot at 15. * Her dad's chauffer, Charles, taught her how to drive. * She dated Joe's brother, Tony. Quotes *"Boyfriends come and go but friendships last for months." - 2.04 *Oh no, not another intervention. I’ve already gotten rid of so many of my vices. I mean, I don’t have anything left except purses and chocolates. Please don’t take away my purses (grabs Joe’s arms and pleads). It’s where I keep my chocolate. 1.12 *"Who asked Joe to intervene? He thinks he has to rescue me? He thinks I can’t take care of myself? I mean, sure, I start the occasional kitchen fire and he has to put it out. And invite a conniving reporter into our house, even though he warned me not to. And I depend on him in a lot of ways. But he should let me take care of (looks at him on the TV screen) …myself… " - 1.07 Category:Main Characters Category:Females Category:Characters